Since 2004, prestigious British film organization BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television) has hosted an annual awards ceremony for the previous year's best video games. The at this year's ceremony, which took place on April 2nd was live-streamed online rather than held in public, were Mobius Digital's indie hit Outer Wilds and Estonian developer ZA/UM's Disco Elysium. They tied for most-a🔥warded game with three wins e🌺ach.
Outer Wilds ultimately took home the "Best Game" award at the end of the night, beating out fellow indie hits Untitled Goose Game and Disco Elysium, as well as some serious AAA competition in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Luigi's Mansion and Control. It also won awards fꦆor "Original Property" an🍰d "Game Design."
The central conceit in Outer Wilds' award-winning design is that the game world is destroyed after 22 minutes of play time. However, as the player traverses adjacent planets and solves puzzles in each playthrough, they will uncover information about the in-game universe in hopes of eventually stopping the world-ending supernova. Due to its reoccurring 22 minute apocalypse, occurrences happen at precise minute markers within that time similar to in Zelda: Majora's Mask's three day cycle, making possibಞle puzzles that necessitate not only finding the right puzzle pieces but﷽ getting to them at the right time.
Meanwhile Disco Elysium's marquee win was for "Debut Game," which it won out against Death Stranding, Ape Out, Katana Zero, Knights and Bikes and Manifold Garden. It likewise won a♏wards for "Music" and "Narrative."
Disco Elysium's music was written and performed entirely by one band, British Sea Power, who had no experience scoring a video game prior to their award-winning soundtrack. Since Disco Elysium is light on game mechanics (though its dice roll-based mechanics do have depth) its narrative is its crown jewel. Since its stat system necessitates specializing in certain skills over others, one player's experience of the story can ultimately differ greatly from another's, based on not just personal decisions and passed/failed skill checks, bu🦄t also on which options are made available due to skill proficiencies.
Other wins include Luigi's Mansion 3 for "Animation," Path of Exile for "Evolving Game," Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) for "Game Beyond Entertainment," and Death Stranding for "Technical Achievement." Though nominated for four awards, Game Awards-winner Sekiro ultimately ended the ceremony winless.
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